1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing plate holding device for holding a new printing plate supplied to a plate cylinder of a printing press and a discharged printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder.
2. Prior Art
Regarding a conventional printing plate holding device for supplying a new printing plate to a plate cylinder of a printing press and a discharged printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder, it has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No.3032484.
In a printing plate holding device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3032484, a printing plate attaching unit for holding a new/discharged printing plate is sheltered data location above a plate cylinder. In the case of exchanging a printing plate, the printing plate attaching unit is moved to a location near the printing plate. After exchanging a printing plate, the unit is again sheltered at the location above the plate cylinder.
In a printing plate holding device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3032484, the printing plate attaching unit located at the shelter position is above the plate cylinder. If such a printing plate holding device is applied to a large sized printing press or an upper plate cylinder for a double-sided printing press having upper- and lower plate cylinders, the printing plate attached at the upper plate cylinder at the shelter position is shifted to a level which is too high for an operator for setting/discharging a new/discharged printing plate in the case of exchanging the printing plate. A preparation time becomes longer so that product efficiency is reduced.
To resolve the above drawback, a purpose of the present invention is to provide a printing plate holding device for easily picking up a discharged printing plate and setting a new printing plate.
To resolve the above described subject, a device for holding a printing plate comprises a printing plate storing means with a storing space for storing a discharged printing plate discharged from a plate cylinder or a new printing plate supplied to the plate cylinder, moving means for moving the printing plate storing means between an operation position for storing the printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder in the storing space or supplying the printing plate from the storing space to the plate cylinder and a shelter position released from the plate cylinder and a printing plate holding member for holding the printing plate in the storing space of the printing plate storing means, wherein the device is characterized in that a downstream side of the storing space of the printing plate storing means along a printing plate storing direction or an upstream side thereof along a printing plate supplying direction at the shelter position is located lower than an upstream side along the printing plate storing direction or the downstream side thereof along the printing plate supplying direction, and the downstream side of the storing space of the printing plate storing means along the printing plate storing direction or the upstream side thereof along the printing plate supplying direction at the operation position is higher than the upstream side thereof along the printing plate storing direction or the downstream side thereof along the printing plate supplying direction.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, wherein the printing plate storing means is a discharged printing plate storing means with the storing space for storing a discharged printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder, the moving means moves the discharged printing plate storing means between an operation position for storing the discharged printing plate discharged from the plate cylinder in the storing space and the shelter position released from the plate cylinder, the printing plate holding member is a discharged printing plate holding member for holding the discharged printing plate in the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means, a downstream side of the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means located at the shelter position along a discharged printing plate storing direction is lower than an upstream side thereof and the downstream side of the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means located at the operation position along the discharged printing plate storing direction is higher than the upstream side thereof.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, a downstream side of the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means located at the shelter position along the discharged printing plate storing direction is lower than a downstream of the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means located at the operation position.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the plate cylinder is provided at an upper printing portion located above a traveling path of a printed matter and the shelter position of the discharged printing plate storing means is located at a lower side of the upper printing portion.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the device further comprises a pair of right- and left-frames and a cover member for closing at least one part of a space formed between the pair of frames, wherein the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means located at the shelter position is located at an exterior side with respect to the cover member.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the discharged printing plate can be picked up through a side portion of the storing space of the discharged printing plate storing means.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the printing plate storing means is new printing plate storing means with the storing space for storing a new printing plate supplied to the plate cylinder, the moving means moves the new printing plate storing means between an operation position for supplying the new printing plate to the plate cylinder and the shelter position released from the plate cylinder, the printing plate holding member is a new printing plate holding member for holding the new printing plate in the storing space of the new printing plate storing means, an upstream side of the storing space of the new printing plate storing means located at the shelter position along a new printing plate supplying direction is lower than an downstream side thereof and the upstream side of the storing space of the new printing plate storing means located at the operation position along the new printing plate supplying direction is higher than the downstream side thereof.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, an upstream side of the storing space of the new printing plate storing means located at the shelter position along the new printing plate supplying direction is lower than an upstream side of the new printing plate storing means located at the operation position.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the plate cylinder is provided at an upper printing portion located above a traveling path of a printed matter, and the shelter position of the new printing plate storing means is located at a lower side of the upper printing portion.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the device further comprises a pair of right- and left-frames and a cover member for closing at least one part of a space formed between the pair of frames, wherein the storing space of the new printing plate storing means located at the shelter position is located at an exterior side with respect to the cover member.
In the above described device for holding a printing plate, the new printing plate can be set though a side portion of the storing space of the new printing plate storing means.